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A service to His little ones (which includes at-home teens) through you, their parents and grandparents, in His name by His Word MAR23009 {The} Hours (2002), PG-13 Analysis Date: January 26, 2003 CAP Score: 57 CAP Influence Density: 0.78 MinMax: -57 |
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 Production: Miramax Films, Scott Rudin Productions Distribution: Paramount Pictures Director(s): Stephen Daldry Producer(s): Robert Fox, Mark Huffam, Ian MacNeil, Scott Rudin, Marieke Spencer Written by/Screenplay: Michael Cunningham (novel), David Hare (screenplay), Virginia Woolf (novel) Cinematography/Camera: Seamus McGarvey Music: Philip Glass Film Editing: Peter Boyle Casting: Patsy Pollock, Daniel Swee Production Design: Maria Djurkovic Art Direction: Nick Palmer, Mark Raggett, Judy Rhee Viewed At: AMC - Hulen, Fort Worth, Texas The "message" in {The} Hours is about the influence of entertainment media. Imagine that! And in proper perspective as well -- how entertainment can shape and even destroy minds, hearts and lives [1 Cor. 15:33]. In {The} Hours the vehicle of of entertainment influence comes in book form. {The} Hours movie was inspired by Michael Cunningham's book, The Hours which was inspired by Virginia Woolf's 1925 feminist book, Mrs. Dalloway. {The} Hours is also a movie about the lives of three lesbian women and one gay man. One of the three women and the man commit suicide and a second woman attempts it [Ex 20:13]. It is beyond me why someone would build a movie like this when suicide appears to be a chief threat in the gay/lesbian community as told to me by those who claim to be gay and lesbian practitioners. Gay and lesbian practitioners also tell me that it is people like me who tell God's Word undiluted who are the chief cause of suicide among gays and lesbians. Movies like this one put that accusation into proper perspective as well. By and through His love for us all, I love you each too much to tell you anything less than the Truth [Rom. 12:9]. In the movie, Virginia Woolf is portrayed as being both severely depressed and lesbian. However trustworthy the Internet is or is not, a search confirmed the claim that Virginia Woolf was lesbian. Why do I bring up that Woolf was reportedly lesbian while it has nothing to do with her literary genius? Because it is a key element in this story of promotion of homosexuality/lesbianism to younger and younger kids every year. Yes, the homosexual/lesbian community is including our youth in their efforts. An example of this is the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the source of the information about Woolf. GLSEN focuses on school age children as evidenced, in part, by "in school", "local schools" and "students" figuring prominently on their website. Another part of the homosexual community which is targeting youth is the North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA), which needs no description. If this movie is not a promotion of homosexuality and lesbianism, it certainly adds to the saturation of our culture with yet more saturation with it [Rom. 1:24 - 28]. Before I get started in the summary of the plots, I will tell you boldly that I do not hate they who choose to practice homosexuality or lesbianism. I cannot hate these folks because each of us, no matter what choices we make, is precious to Jesus and Jesus is precious to me. He spent three days in Hell so you and I would not have to spend one moment there if we believe in Him. It is some of our behaviors God hates, not us. He does not hate the sinner any more than I would hate any of my eight children who rebels. It is the doing not the doer, the act not the actor I hate. And so does God. He hates sin (even my own) and has admonished us that the same-gender sexual practices of the homosexual and lesbianism lifestyles are sinful. God loves us each enough to forgive any of our sins if we humble ourselves and ask. A few call me a homophobe. I do not fear they who choose to practice "alternate" lifestyles. I am not the type to be frightened by threats. It is what such practice does to the practitioner and to one of the apparent targets of practitioner's affection which I fear as explained in the following:
THAT is one of the things which I fear. And the very existence of the North American Man-boy Love Association (NAMBLA) gives substance to Dr. Reisman's findings ... and my fears. Earlier I speak to "choice." Yes, I believe the actual performance of homosexual and lesbian practices to be a choice. There is too much evidence to that conclusion for it to be ignored. I believe it first because God does not create sin and He has declared the practice of homosexuality and lesbianism (among a plethora of other of our behaviors) to be sinful. Second, because every non-autonomic movement of the human body is a choice. No exceptions. No debate. Even my own sins are because of something I choose to do. And since He spent three days in Hell for you and I, we will not situationally redefine, counterfeit or conditionally apply His Word to suit cultural tolerances or to avoid invading comfort zones, even of other Christians. If our culture or beliefs conflict with His Word, it is not His Word that needs to change to resolve the conflict. On to the story. The story in {The} Hours spans about 70 years in 105 minutes as it portrays the impact of Woolf's book, Mrs. Dalloway on herself and two women. In the story, all three quintessential women are lesbian and one of the three kills herself. Another of the three women attempts suicide but the optics of it is suicide. Two other characters entwined in the life of two of the three women are homosexual men, one of whom also kills himself. What a message! The intricacy of three quintessential lives interwoven yet not connected except by literary works of the past is so detailed, seamless and delicate that if keen attention is not paid one might think all three women are good friends and compatriots. It is not the talent or genius in this artistic trophy which is corruptive of wholesomeness and righteousness by His Word, it is the subject of the talent and genius. Yes, this movie is indeed a work of art. But it is also sin. Art is not sin. And sin is not art. But art becomes sin when art uses sin. As the story tells, in 1941 Woolf is wading into a river with rocks in her pockets. On the crests of the waves created by Woolf's fatal plunge we are taken through time to the shores of three lives linked through literary works due to the magnetism of "misery loves company" camaraderie: Woolf's own life; the life of Laura Brown; the life of Clarissa Vaughn. Also entwined in the weave is Richard Brown, a life-long homosexual practitioner plus another life-long homosexual practitioner who is an incidental character. Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman): Eighteen years before her suicide in 1941, Woolf was battling depression and insanity. She worked obsessively at writing Mrs. Dalloway, heard voices and was being torn apart with devastating mood swings. Woolf became so depressed that her husband, Leonard (Stephen Dillane) took her out of the bustle of London to the quiet serenity of Richmond in hopes to ease pressures thus her burdens. In one scene, Virginia kisses her sister, first as a sisterly peck but escalating into something much more. And this was done in view of Virginia's small niece [Luke 17:2, Matt. 25:40]. But Virginia came to hate living in Richmond, becoming even more depressed and anxious and wanted to go back to London, telling Leonard "If it's a choice between Richmond and death, I choose death." Laura Brown (Julianne Moore): Laura was a post-World War II insecure and dissatisfied Los Angeles four-month pregnant housewife and mother who was absorbed hungrily into Mrs. Dalloway. Her life was so empty that the book seemed her only excitement. She even tried to make a birthday cake for her loving and dedicated husband, Dan (John C. Reilly). The first attempt at making the cake failed. As she weakened under Woolf's influence she baked another cake, which was a masterpiece, as "announcement" that she was going to kill herself by renting a hotel room and overdosing in it on prescription drugs. Never mind the murder of her unborn child by her suicide. While the imagery of the suicide attempt was of a dream state, possibly drug-induced, the optics showed the suicide as a successful drowning as the room filled with water until she submerged, clearly in emulation of her idol Virginia Woolf. The addition of river plants in the rushing water added to the assurance of emulation Laura even removed only one shoe, likely in emulation of Woolf loosing a shoe in her suicide. Before Laura dropped off her young son at a care giver to facilitate the suicide attempt, she listened to one of her acquaintances, Kitty (Toni Collette) who was having trouble getting pregnant. As Kitty's depressing tale progressed, in front of her son Laura gave Kitty a passionate kiss, obviously not in compassion for the barren Kitty but rather for Laura herself. Clarissa Vaughn (Meryl Streep): Clarissa was a hardened and pragmatic present day big city business woman. Clarissa was not only infatuated with Mrs. Dalloway she was obsessed with it. She lived it. She emulated it. She "became" it. Clarissa had a college age daughter, Julia (Claire Danes) who had apparently been raised to accept the practice of lesbian behaviors [Luke 17:2, Matt. 25:40]. Clarissa was in a ten-year lesbian relationship with Sally Lester (Allison Janney), but before Sally was Richard Brown (Ed Harris) in a summer fling. Richard was dying from AIDS after a lifetime of homosexual relationships. Clarissa was such a dedicated nursemaid and caregiver to Richard it seemed her heart was with Richard, not Sally. One of the dangerous images of this movie was Clarissa kissing Richard's right frontal cheek near his mouth with lesions on his chin. Richard was a noted poet and had won a prize of notoriety but was most reluctant to attend the ceremonies due to his stage of AIDS. Clarissa was bound and determined that Richard attend. But Richard was not about to attend. So, he killed himself by intentionally falling out of a high window. The mixing of prescription drugs might have had something to do with his decision as well. Richard's deep fear was waiting for {The} Hours to pass until he died. Maybe the writers do not realize it but they have Richard's probable age at the time of inevitable death just about right for the average lifespan of adult male homosexual practitioners. In "...Oxford University's International Journal of Epidemiology, researchers found that, at age 20, the life expectancy of homosexual and bisexual men is 8 to 20 years less than for all men." Paul Cameron of the Claremont Institute published a report which I can no longer locate stating the median age of death of the married American [heterosexual] man was 75. But for sexually active adult American homosexual male practitioners the median age of death was 42. It further stated that while 80% of married American men reached or exceeded age 65, less than 2% of homosexual practitioners in the survey lived that long. This movie presents suicide as a choice, never as running away and never as the wrong choice. And death is presented as an ending, never as a beginning. The practice of homosexuality and lesbianism is lauded somberly without fanfare. {The} Hours indeed seems to equate homosexuality and lesbianism with the cowardice of suicide. Two of the six homosexual/gay characters commit suicide and a third attempts it. And they have their reasons, too, according to the rationale in the movie anyway. Moral relativism is rampant, promoting that we all have choices and suicide is just one of them. Communicating that suicide is a viable and sometimes the only alternative. Never has a more wrong message been given. Especially to teens (PG-13). I guess the MPAA thinks 13 year olds are quite ready to be influenced by entertainment containing suicide -- repeatedly. And presentation of homosexuality and lesbianism as natural, routine and is indeed a commonly accepted practice. In addition to the above issues of programming, {The} Hours contained three uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary plus one use of the most foul of the foul words [ Col. 3:8]. It also presented 13 uses of God's name in vain but without the four letter expletive [Deut. 5:11]. Smoking was frequent [1 Cor. 6:19]. Please read the listing in the Finings/Scoring section before you decide whether this movie is fit. SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S) If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ]. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page. ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry*** As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie. |
 Wanton Violence/Crime (W): Impudence/Hate (I)(1): Sex/Homosexuality (S): Drugs/Alcohol (D): Offense to God (O)(2): Murder/Suicide (M)(3): |
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| NOTE: While the Summary/Commentary section of these reports is precisely that -- a summary in commentary format which can be and sometimes is subjective, the actual CAP Analysis Model (the Findings/Scoring section) makes no scoring allowances for trumped-up "messages" to excuse, for manufacture of justification for, or camouflaging of ignominious content or aberrant behavior or imagery with "redeeming" programming. Disguising sinful behavior in a theme/plot does not excuse the sinful behavior of either the one who is drawing pleasure or example of behavior or thought from the sinful display or of the practitioners demonstrating the sinful behavior. We make no attempt to quantify the "artistic" or "entertainment" value of a movie -- whether a movie has any positive value or "entertainment" value is up to mom/dad. The CAP analysis model is the only known set of tools available to parents and grandparents which give *them* the control they need, bypassing the opinion-based assessment of movies by others and defeating the deceit of those who would say anything to convince their parents otherwise. The model is completely objective to His Word. Our investigation standards are founded in the teachings and expectations of Jesus Christ. If a sinful behavior is portrayed, it is called sinful whether Hollywood tries to make it otherwise. That the sinful behavior is "justified" by some manufactured conditions does not soften nor erase the price of sin. Whether there is application of fantasy "justification" or "redemption" is up to mom/dad. |
| "There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our more than eight years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings. |
